CHRISTIAN FUNDRAISING & COMMUNICATION IN A 21 ST CENTURY WORLD AND CHURCH John Roberto LifelongFaith Associates

1. Social Transformations 2. Religious Transformations 3. Generational Transformations 4. Creating a Culture of Generosity Christian Fundraising & Communication in a 21 st Century World and Church

ACCELERATING CHANGE The world is now changing at a rate at which the basic systems, structures, and cultures built over the past century cannot keep up with the demands being placed on them. Incremental adjustments to how you manage and strategize, no matter how clever, are not up to the job. You need something very new to stay ahead in a age of tumultuous change and growing uncertainties. (John Kotter, Accelerate: Building Strategic Agility for a Faster-Moving World

SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS Rise of Networked Individualism

EmbeddedSocial Networks TRANSFORMATION IN SOCIAL LIFE

Community-Centered LifeNetwork-Centered Life

New Social Network Operating System The Triple Revolution 1. Social Network Revolution 2. Internet Revolution 3. Mobile Revolution TRANSFORMATION IN SOCIAL LIFE

The Social Network, Internet, and Mobile Revolutions are coming together to shift people’s social lives away from densely knit family, neighborhood, and group relationships toward more far-flung, less tight, more diverse personal networks. TRANSFORMATION IN SOCIAL LIFE

Networked Individualism The three revolutions have made possible the new social operating system – Networked Individualism. The hallmark of networked individualism is that people function more as connected individuals and less as embedded group members.

TRANSFORMATION IN SOCIAL LIFE Networked Individualism  This stands in contrast to the longstanding social arrangements formed around large hierarchical bureaucracies and small, densely knit groups such as households, communities, and workgroups.  It is an operating system because it describes the ways in which people connect, communicate, and exchange information.

TRANSFORMATION IN SOCIAL LIFE  Mobile devices have fundamentally changed the relationship between information, time, & space.  Information is now PORTABLE, PARTICIPATORY, PERSONAL  Information will find you through social networking. People turn to their social networks to help them evaluate new information they encounter.  People have become content creators – when they discover content they will share it with their network. Reciprocal sharing is the way people build their social capital and reputations.

GENERATIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS 5 Distinct Generations in America Millennials are the trendsetters!

FIVE GENERATIONS  Relationship to Institutions  Relationship to Authority  Family Relationships  Work-Life Balance  Communication Style  Technology Usage  Learning Style  Spiritual Expression  Worship Style

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES From Builders to Millenials Institutions/Organizations People/Causes/Issues Loyal to Institutions Suspicious/Critical of Institutions Leader Influenced Peer Influence Group-Centered Network-Centric Local/Parochial Global / Inclusive Word Culture Image Culture Analog Culture Digital Culture One Size Fits All One Size Fits One

TARGETING BABY BOOMERS  10,000 turn 65 every day  Greatest amount of time, savings, life experiences, and skills to contribute.  Over 80% give money or goods to non-profits  65% believe that "retirement is the best time in life to give back.”  Generativity stage of life  They are GRANDPARENTS! Giving in Retirement Research

TARGETING BOOMERS: MOTIVATIONS Giving in Retirement Research

TARGETING BOOMERS: REASONS Giving in Retirement Research

TARGETING GEN X & MILLENNIALS  Generation X: The majority are parents with children and teens; focused on the lives of their children and their world.  Millenials: They are a mix of singles, couples, and parents with young children; a more diverse set of concerns and issues and lifestyles than any other generation.

TARGETING GEN X & MILLENNIALS  They can feel and experience the cause without having to be onsite (photography, video, digital storytelling, experiential learning).

TARGETING GEN X & MILLENNIALS  By a margin of more than two-to-one, Millennials who volunteer for nonprofits are more likely to make donations.  They like to perform smaller actions before fully committing to a cause.  Gen X & Millennials donate to organizations from which they have received services or with which they have participated in programs.

TARGETING GEN X & MILLENNIALS  Impact: The ability to directly see the impact of their donation would have a significant bearing on their decision to give.  Personal: Give to a specific project might matter to them.  Peer-Peer: More likely to fundraise when approached by friends (or friends’ kids) to support a charity. Peer influence plays an important role in motivating them to volunteer, attend events, participate in programs, and give.

TARGETING GEN X & MILLENNIALS  Online Giving: a majority have made gifts online through a nonprofit’s webpage (70% of Millennials)  Mobile Giving: nearly 2/3 of Millennials and 1/2 of Gen X say they would give via a mobile device.  Activity-Based: walks for…, runs for...  Workplace Giving: sponsored fundraisers in the workplace: runs, cycling races, walkathons. Next Generation of American Giving Research

TARGETING GEN X & MILLENNIALS  Promotion: spreading the word to others about the charity and its work. Millennials need to equipped with resources (video, information, statistics) to help them spread the word. (social media)  Crowdfunding: support for crowdfunded projects Next Generation of American Giving Research

TARGETING GENERATIONS Millennial preferences are becoming more than preferences. They’re becoming the norm for all ages and generations. (The Millennial Impact Study, ) Multichannel is the new normal. While all generations are multi-channel in their communication habits, the ideal mix varies from generation to generation.

APPLICATION & EXAMPLES

THE SOCIAL NETWORK EFFECT (SAXTON & WANG) Analysis of Facebook fundraising activities of more than 50 organizations.  Websites Make a Difference  Content Makes a Difference  New Approaches Make a Difference (crowdsourcing, mobile donations)  Friends Make a Difference

THE IMPORTANCE OF VIDEO  Google and Millward Brown Digital did a study where they watched 425,000 visits to nonprofit websites. What they found was that 90% of donors to nonprofits watch YouTube videos, while only 65% of the general public do.

IMPORTANCE OF VIDEO  80% of nonprofit videos being watched were found from search engines, not organizational websites.  Watching video appears to be clearly related to getting someone to donate.  When the word video is used in an subject line, open rates double.  Click-through rates increase 2-3 times when a video is included in an .

CROWDFUNDING: DONORS CHOOSE

CROWD-FUNDINGDONORSCHOOSE

CROWD-FUNDING:DONORSCHOOSE

CROWDSOURCING: FAITHIFY

CROWDFUNDING: #GIVINGTUESDAY

#GIVINGTUESDAY

RELIGIOUS – SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATIONS Rise of the Nones and the Dones

TRANSFORMATION IN RELIGIOUS LIFE

Reasons for Leaving or Dissatisfaction with Church  Church too judgmental  Church bureaucracy  Lecture style of preaching  Church is not where I encounter God  Social & political stances of the church  Church is not where I find community  Couldn’t find a church that was welcoming  I wanted to be more involved in living out God’s calling in my life

TRANSFORMATION IN RELIGIOUS LIFE Americans have become less religious in recent years by standard measures such as how important they say religion is to them and their frequency of religious service attendance and prayer. But, at the same time, the share of people across a wide variety of religious identities who say they often feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being as well as a deep sense of wonder about the universe has risen.

TARGETING RELIGIOUS PROFILES

CREATING A CULTURE OF GENEROSITY Families Faith Communities & Nonprofit Organizations

CULTURE OF GENEROSITY: PARENTS  Parental teaching: influencing their children through direct teaching to give - 39% of Americans were explicitly taught by their parents to give  Parental modeling: influencing their children through indirect modeling of giving - 76% had some parental modeling of giving  Parents remain a key differentiator of whether or not someone gives

CULTURE OF GENEROSITY: PARENTS & FAMILIES 1. Equip parents to be role models of Generosity and to teach generosity to their children: webinars, online learning and resources, social networks 2. Develop family-based programs on Generosity – integrating learning, experiences of service, donating, and spiritual formation 3. Develop family skills and practices for Generosity: family giving decision-making, family goals for giving, family fund for giving

CULTURE OF GENEROSITY: FAITH COMMUNITY / ORGANIZATION 1. Embed teaching and living Generosity into the life of the community: Sunday worship, educational programs, age group programs, Bible studies, etc. 2. Organize regular community-wide Generosity projects 3. Create a digital platform for Generosity: online community and resources, activities, connections, and learning 4. Develop Generosity Mentors 5. Organize Apprenticeships in Generosity 6. Celebrate Generosity: telling stories of changed lives that occur because of their church or organization

CULTURE OF GENEROSITY: COMMUNITY Integrate Volunteering, Donating, Learning, Praying For Individuals, Families, and All Generations Gathered Programs & Online Community & Resources  A Day of Generosity  A Week of Generosity  A Month of Generosity  A Year of Living Generously

THE GENEROSITY PARADOX THE SCIENCE OF GENEROSITY INITIATIVE (U. OF NOTRE DAME)  Americans who describe themselves as “very happy” volunteer an average of 5.8 hours per month. Those who are “unhappy” – just.6 hours per month.  The scientific evidence tell us that practicing generosity is good for people, both for the givers and the receivers.  Generosity has the causal power to change people – enhanced personal well-being, and at least parts of the world.

SPIRITUAL ENGAGEMENT & GIVING (PARADOX OF GENEROSITY)  Key: seeing the use of money and possessions as a part of one’s spiritual life, as a part of Christian formation and faithfulness  People tend to compartmentalize, to separate money from matters of faith, to think that money and material possession do not have much to do with spiritual or religious issues.  People who do engage with money as a spiritual matter and who see their money as ultimately God’s are much more financially generous.